Yelawolf was on the verge of lyricist superstardom. He had already built such a following around his Trunk Muzik series. People were prematurely crowning him another great after Eminem. Then, out of pure irony, Eminem signs him to Shady/Aftermath. We all knew that Yelawolf was going to explode into stardom. Catfish Billy was going to become a household name representing the seedier side of Caucasian life.

 

Then the unexpected happen: his premier Shady/Aftermath album, Radioactive, virtually flopped. Too much filler and not enough killer. Now, it seems he has taken it personally. So, after much touring, side projects, and reflecting, we have Trunk Muzik Returns. From the gate, I must say that Yelawolf is back if he ever left at all.

 

Because of its short playlist, there is very little room for error. Luckily, Yelawolf keeps it lyrically dynamic and entertaining throughout. Take “F.A.S.T Ride”, for example.  Catfish takes it to the asphalt with the chorus and flips on that rapid fire flow with intertwined bars about Steve Urkel, being perforated by the rings like Mead, and making mummies jealous. It is safe to assume that Yelawolf wanted people to remember that he can still spit with the best of them.

 

The rest of this album doesn’t let up too much. “Gangsta”, as “run of the mill” as the beat evolved, still came off pretty hard. “Rhyme Room” features Raekwon doing his thing and Killer Mike showing why he is the South’s most slept on. Yela even adds another chapter to the Box Chevy series (number 4) for good measure. Thus, this album simultaneously keeps things fresh and habitual in one fell swoop.

 

Is Trunk Muzik Returns a classic? Not in my eyes (at least). It is dope to listen to? Absolutely. Does it have replay value? Way more replay value than Radioactive (and I liked Radioactive). Yelawolf recognized his mistakes and is working to make up for them. I wish other artists would do what he did: realized their failures and worked to make up for them.